I keep telling myself, no more tribute albums this year! Well I can make an exception if the album is devoted to guitar God Jimi Hendrix can't I?

Voodoo Crossing - A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix - Vol. 1 is over 75 minutes of guitar driven psychedelic-blues-rock tracks that are bursting with the energy that Hendrix left behind and filled with the technology and know how available in studios today.

When you hear Hiram Bullock cover "Voodoo Chile" (as well as all the other tracks) you will be blown away by the expert chops provided and know in your heart that the man playing the song is giving the very best tribute he could possibly offer the honored guest and listener. Let me tell you, if Jimi were alive today he would he smiling (which I am sure he is now anyway) from ear to ear after listening to other people play his music with such devotion to duplicating the original intent of the creator.

You will recognize some of the names like Steve Lukather, Robben Ford and Pat Travers, and then there are others you will not find familiarity with. It does not matter; this is not the time for the spotlight to shine on names, it is the music of Jimi Hendrix that is the showcase and the ability of each contributing artists' ability to emulate the man's music that is the focus. The independent label from Italy, Comet Records, is entrusting some great guitar players with the holy grail of rock music, giving everyone that participates a shot at playing some of the best-known rock songs ever recorded. Everyone one of them does a bang up job and the label has plenty of reason to be proud. This is one of the best tributes that I have heard this year and there have been a slew of them with only a few honestly impressing me.

This is blues-rock at its definitive zenith, no question about it. This CD rocks straight out of the gate and there is not one second of reprieve for your ears, and that is a good thing. Do you love Hendrix or blues-rock? Then you really need to hear this CD. Now for the best part, this is only volume one. His ghost is still amongst us and projects like this are the proof.